You can program those countdown clocks for 73 days. Astros pitchers and catchers are due to report to Kissimmee, Fla., for spring training by Feb. 15, which is a Saturday. The first workout for pitchers and catchers is to be held the next day. Position players have to be on the ground by Feb. 19, […]
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Fourteen pitchers have a higher ERA than Jordan Lyles’ 5.35 since the day he debuted in the majors, May 31, 2011. Philip Humber’s one and Roy Oswalt’s another. (The baseline was 162 innings pitched.) There were good moments, but Lyles seems to embody the Astros of the last three years. A backyard, let-the-kids-throw-it-together show where […]
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In the immediate aftermath, the Dexter Fowler trade looks like a winner for the Astros. In simple terms, they acquired a more complete commodity than the two players they gave up, Brandon Barnes and Jordan Lyles. The player to be named later Houston will get back was a sticking point for the Astros, and could […]
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As wild as Tuesday was across baseball, Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow wasn’t sitting at his desk with an unsettled feeling that he had to keep pace. When he sat down for Thanksgiving dinner last week, Luhnow already knew he was close to a trade that would bring Colorado Rockies center fielder Dexter Fowler to […]
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After trading for Colorado OF Dexter Fowler, Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow isn’t done shopping. “This is a crazy market,” Luhnow said. “It went from being really quiet to incredibly active. I do think there’s a possibility of another transaction prior to the winter meetings and then another at the winter meetings. “Our focus all […]
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Almost immediately after the Astros acquired outfielder Dexter Fowler from the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday, the question became how the trade would impact top prospect George Springer? In short, it won’t. Fowler, who prefers to play center field, is likely going to be the only outfielder who enters spring training guaranteed a starting spot. Robbie […]
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Facing tremendous pitching, the Red Sox set a major-league record for strikeouts in a single postseason and won the World Series. The Astros last year struck out 62 more times than Boston — a major-league record 1,535 — and that’s without playing a single game in October. Trimming the number of whiffs is a priority […]
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The Astros tendered a contract offer to catcher Jason Castro before today’s 11 p.m. CT deadline. The expected move keeps him off the free-agent market and makes him arbitration eligible. It should be noted that tendering Castro a contract does not mean that a 2014 deal has been finalized. Salary arbitration figures do not have […]
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Attorneys for Comcast and NBC Universal have filed notice to move a state court lawsuit filed by Astros owner Jim Crane against the companies and former Astros owner Drayton McLane to the federal court that is overseeing the Comcast SportsNet Houston involuntary bankruptcy case. Comcast and NBC said in court documents filed Friday that the […]
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Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, one of Venezuela’s most popular ballplayers, will not play in the Venezuelan Winter League this year, a person with knowledge of Altuve’s plans said. Altuve has been a regular on the roster of popular Venezuelan club Magallanes, but the young former All-Star will instead return to Houston in January to […]
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